Celebrity's website says "Informal" means a request for men to wear jackets, shirts, and ties. Are men really wearing the ties or will a good blazer with nice shirt suffice? Dressing stylishly in many fine restaurants means jacket but optional tie; I can't recall how it worked on the several HAL cruises we've taken. Our upcoming Summit cruise will be our first on Celebrity.

These days formal , informal, casual do not have the same meaning as they used to or as certain cruise lines would like them to have. I've done two Celebrity and a Princess cruise in the past 12 months. You will certainly see people in the prescribed dress
for the evening and you will also see people dress "below"
what the brochure describes. A jacket and a dress shirt, without a tie will not draw a second glance on an informal night on most ships (including the one you are scheduled on).
Relax and enjoy what you are comfortable with, it sounds like you do not intend to show up in cut off denim shorts and a tank top.
I personally wear a jacket to dinner every night (tux or dinner jacket on formal night) but rarely wear a tie with the jacket.

Are banded collar dress shirts with a jacket acceptable in the Normandie? I know it says jacket & tie for this restaurant, but since you cannot wear a tie with these shirts, I want to make certain it is acceptable dress. Husband will wear a tie if needed, he just would prefer to wear the banded collar shirt.

Actually I think a dress shirt with a banded collar would be just fine, with a sports jacket. I often wear a dress sweater with a sports jackets on "informal" nights onboard.. no tie. and it works out just fine.

Actually likely that's what I wore to dinner in the Olympic Restaurant on Millennium.

Keep in mind it is a "request" and there are no clothing police to incarcerate a man who doesn't wear a tie on informal nights. HOWEVER, it's good manners to follow the dress code. Kuki's dressy under-sweater follows the TONE of informal, even without the tie.

I sometimes think there should be a literacy test for cruisers so to make sure they understand that the dress code is for the ENTIRE evening and doesn't mean run back to the cabin after dinner and put on your ratty shorts and T-shirts.

My husband's personal dress code:

Casual: Polo shirt, navy blazer, khakis, boat shoes, socks optional

Informal: Dress shirt, tie, navy blazer, dress shoes, socks

Formal: Dinner jacket with all the trimmings.

Packing Hint: Send dress shirt(s) to laundry and have them folded. Put appropriate ties and socks in the shirt bag and toss in the suitcase. No, "Where are my socks with the wombats on them, honey?"

Pamda, you and others here confirm what I thought. In addition, I agree with you: I am a real supporter of following the requested dress-of-the-evening ALL evening because it adds to the ambience while one strolls around the ship from lounge to dining to show to lounge, etc. We find it fun and special. My husband is happy to wear the tie, or whatever is requested - his comment to me concerning the whole issue of people saying "I paid thousands for my cruise; I'll wear what I want whenever" (see the CruiseCritic thread that has developed in response to my original simple post there!) goes like this: Sure, and you could also wear T-shirt and slacks to a wedding or funeral; no one will stop you from attending but that's not respectful of the event or other attendees.
[Now, if we could just re-train males in hat etiquette: remove your baseball caps when you come inside a building, especially a restaurant or when you're touring a church while sightseeing!] We are REALLY looking forward to our Summit cruise and a new cruiseline experience!

On our first cruise we found people generally stuck with the dress theme for the evening (throughout the evening). As the years (only 5) have passed by I would observe both a "lessening" of the interpretation of what is formal, informal and casual and an increase in the "run back to your room and change" crowd.
I find this less true on Celebrity than on other lines, but still find it to be true. Perhaps that accounts for the success of Norwegian's Freestyle, all casual, approach these days.I know my wife likes to "dress" in the evening and I do not mind a bit
matching the formality of her outfits with my own (and staying that way throughout the evening).
Where else but on a cruise is a kid from the south Bronx,going to
get to put on a tuxedo or dinner jacket and accompanied by a beautiful women in an elegant gown, go out for a predinner cocktail, followed by a five course dinner , followed by a show,
and a quiet moment on the stern of a ship under the stars.
Just not the same in a tee shirt and cutoffs.

Maybe I am one who needs a literacy test <G>. My wife and I always dress as required for dinner. That said, I am one of those people who change later in the evening. Why? Because we like to play in the casino and playing a slot machine or Blackjack while in tux/dark suit or any form of "dress up" is not something I want to do. Maybe (probably ) I am wrong but I don't think its practical for a lot of cruisers to stay in evening dress all night given the different activities available. After reading another thread here......I admit that I also wear a ballcap with my old Force Recon Wings on it.....its my good luck hat and is worn at the slots. Perhaps we should judge others by the way they act vice dress....IMHO
Semper Fi
Rick

Good to hear so many positive comments re abiding wih the dress code of the
ship. Unfortunately, in my opinion, our move to informality in dress is reflected
in our sloppy language and increasing use of four letter words. Good taste in
dress, good manners in language add up to considerate people.

Ok , I can see your point, but I bet you do not dress down to a greasy tee shirt from Lew's garage and a pair of cut off jeans either.
The hat with your wings on it,that's earned appropriateness for any occassion, especially in these times. You could wear it to dinner with your tux and it wouldn't bother me.I hope you wear it everywhere with pride.
With my tux, I wear a mismatched pair of cuff links. One is from USMA and one from USNA.The first belonged to my older brother, the second to a friend. Both did not make it home from Viet Nam.I don't care if they don't match.
By the way, how people dress is part of how they act IMHO

Bill..you are right. Also, I think your mis-matched cuff links are a wonderful tribute to your big brother and friend. It gave me a lump in my throat when I read that...old memories only fade with time but never completely go away . Semper Fi friend.
Rick

I just love it when these discussions come up. I "met" one of my better on-line friends during one of them when we were passionately defending our own points of view. (She belongs to the, "I paid for this cruise, I'll wear what I darned well please" camp and I'm on the conservative end of the continuum.")

It occurred to me last week on Horizon, when we decided to try the alternative dining on the second formal night, that there would be people in the casino (my husband, for one) not wearing a tux or dark suit. I guess there will be more and more of that. So long as the after-dinner change is into something that fits with what one would wear to an alternative dining venue, I don't see a problem with it. What rots my socks (pantyhose, I guess ...) are the post-prandial workout shorts and tank tops.

I'm going to toss in with Karen on the cap thing. Wear caps when you can see the sky by looking up. When we still had kids at home and lots of young visitors, I had a basket by the front door. Caps went there. My husband mantains that one can lose from 5-15 IQ points by turning the cap backwards.

Bill, great cufflinks. No penalty points from the Fashion Police for those. But Rick, much as I love you, put your lucky cap in the tray to catch the money ???

I, also am amazed by these discussions, particularly by the comments that indicate for deviation from the recommendations with the comment, 'IT WORKS OUT JUST FINE". The dress code is not a subjective fact of life but a recommendation by the line to create a certain atmosphere on the ship. The subjective choice is not to cruise on a particular ship or line. I doubt that anyone would take the position at Le Cirque in NY that one candress as they damn well please because they are spending money. Most lines recommend that the dress code be followed for the complete evening and not only until one decides that it is "time to play" any more than we as passengers would welcome waiters in a very elegant dining room to change to jeans an T shirts to serve dessert. After more than 40 cruises I, subjectively, still enjoy the elegance of cruising as it was in the early days and wear the tux when called for, a shirt and tie on informal nights with a blazer and a long sleeve sport shirt without blazer on casual, or a polo with blazer. That is only my personal taste and I enjoy it, but it also fits my desire not to offend others who are repelled by polo shirts with varying messages on formal night. I wonder how many would spend multiples of thousands to go on a major ship that dispenses service in shorts and jeans and yet expect that they can dress as they would to go to the local FD's chicken BBQ. There, the spleen has been vented, JP

Unfortunately the real question is not where else, but for how much longer. It probably a good sign that the line still advertise on TV with shote of ladies and gentlemen on the deck, dressed to the hilt, and without a hair out of place in the wind (not one of my concerns any more) JP

Your emotionalism about the cuff links is a wonderful tribute and statement about your love for your brothers and for their patritiotism. Bring a korea dogface I cannot use a marine sign off, but wish I could. JP

I agree with JP. What is the point of having guidlines? The lines do this to promote a certain atmosphere. The more casual the dress code, the more casual behavior is. If the reason most people choose Celebrity is their refinement compared to RCI or Carnival then why do they dress down for the occasion. Why do people want to make exceptions, is it laziness? It is not hard to pack accordingly for the recommendations. If someone is struggling with this then maybe Celebrity is not for them. There are many choices for many tastes.

These threads remind me of discussions about religion <G>. There will always be agreeing and opposing views. I think a better question is why do we wear clothes at all? Would'nt the world be a better place if we were all nude? Hummmmm (looking at my body) NOPE!!!!!!! Forget that idea lol.
Semper Fi
Rick